No Regrets
by catgirl Serenity
Summary: Another Minako Oneshot focusing round Mina's relationship with Yaten. Please read! It's honestly better than it sounds! Please Read, Review and, most importantly, enjoy!


Another Minako one shot, this one though focuses on the relationship between Yaten and Minako. I do like the idea of them having a romantic relationship but at the same time I kind of prefer the idea of them being friends who understand each other better than they like to admit.

Please read and enjoy! And Please comment!

No Regrets

Minako stood before the small poster of Yaten that was plastered to her wall, of all the Starlight pictures and posters she owned this was the only one that still hung on the wall. It was only a picture of his face, he smiled calmly down at her from the picture, his grey eyes watching her carefully as she stared.

He had looked at her the same way just before he left, parting with a smile that showed he knew her far too well. And he did, because in all aspects they were the same. No not in personality, Minako smiled to herself, no they were as opposite as the sun and moon on that level; but whenever they transformed there were few differences between them. Maybe Yaten understood less than Minako did, she always sensed that no matter how deep his scars were they were nothing compared to her own.

Sighing her hand traveled up the front of her school uniform until it found the delicate silver chain that hung from her neck. She tugged it out from under her shirt and gripped the small silver orb that hung from the end of it. To others this might seem like a small trinket but to her it symbolized her whole existence.

_Yaten stared at Minako as an awkward silence fell between them. The others stood not far off, weeping and saying their goodbyes. Neither though moved towards the other, both uncertain of what to say._

_Biting her lip, Minako knew she had to say something, she just did not know how to put into words her thanks. When she had died protected him, the Starlights, and her Princess, she had left him to bear her burden. It had been selfish of her, she felt like she had taken the easy way out of a hard battle yet at the same time she knew she had done the right thing. Her Princess' life always came before her own, so she did not regret the act or the price it had cost her or him. She just wished she could find the words to thank him._

"_Here." Yaten tossed something at Minako and she scrabbled to catch it less it be lost on the ground. Opening her hands she found the small silver orb that was Yaten's earring. _

"_You're earring?" she questioned looking up at him with a skeptical look on her face._

"_Yeah, something wrong with it?" demanded Yaten, sounding slightly flustered._

Well I was hoping for something a little nicer, honestly._ Minako admitted to herself but refrained from saying it aloud. _

_Like always though Yaten seemed to know what she was thinking, sighing he replied, "I have nothing else to give you at the moment, but…" he paused as though trying to find the right words, "…even if I did, I would not give it to you."_

_Minako smiled sadly to herself, she had expected that answer. It was just like Yaten to say that. She supposed that was also one reason she was so attracted to him, he did not change for anyone under any circumstances._

_Yaten sighed again, "Look just keep it okay?" he stared down at the ground as he spoke, "Minako, your…far older than I am. You have seen things I never could dream of and have carried burdens greater than any I will ever pick up…You are…a cursed Senshi." It was Minako's turn to avert her gaze, not because she was angry but because she knew he spoke the truth. It was a truth she had known for many years._

_Yaten watched her through his unchanging eyes, "Your curse hangs over you, always, but you fight it. And for that I admire you more than any other Senshi." He paused again, "But, I admire you even more for accepting that curse for the sake of the one to whom you gave your life."_

_Minako's eyes traveled over to Usagi who was standing beside Mamoru. She smiled as she saw the blonde's tear-stained eyes, "I gave my life my princess years ago, Yaten." Her voice was distant and reminiscent of a life that was long gone. "I have given up everything for her, my love, my dreams, and my life. I would do anything she commands, and I will always stand by her side no matter the pain it costs me." Minako cupped the earring to her cheek, "I have no regrets for this life, so you don't need to feel sorry for my fate."_

_Yaten blushed and looked away, ashamed that she had found his true intentions but not surprised she had done so. Still he blustered and attempted to deny her deductions, "I didn't—I meant no—That's not what I meant." _

_Minako smiled and stepped closer to the younger Senshi. As she did she reached up and pulled her cherished red ribbon from her hair, "Thank you." She took his hand and closed it around the red ribbon. "For everything." _

_She giggled at his confused look, "Take it. Just to remember me by, okay?" she smiled, "You know what your problem is, Yaten?"_

"_No, but I have a feeling you're going to tell me."_

_Minako giggled, "You spend too much effort trying to distance yourself from others around you. You may think you're doing it for the sake of your Princess, but you'll only end up hurting her if you keep that up." Yaten followed Minako's gaze to where their princesses stood, hugging each other one last time. "Your princess does not want you to sacrifice your dreams for her sake. She wants you to be happy maybe even more than you want her to be happy." Minako winked at Yaten, "Of course that doesn't mean you won't still sacrifice everything for her at a moment's notice, but don't be afraid to give your dreams a try._

"_You shine the brightest of the Starlights, but I'd like to see that light grow stronger one day."_

_Yaten looked uncertain and was about to tuck the ribbon away when Minako stopped him, "If not for you, then for me?" she cocked her head to one side and pouted playfully at him. "That's my favorite ribbon, you hear! So don't you dare lose it, or I'll make you pay!"_

_Yaten gave her a reluctant smile as he tucked the ribbon safely away in his pocket. "You know, red and silver don't look very good together."_

_Minako smiled, "But yellow and silver work together pretty well."_

Minako smiled at the memory, the day after Yaten had left she had made his earring into a necklace so she would not lose it. She tucked it away so it rested over her heart.

_"Our lives belong to our princesses. Our duty is to serve them till our deaths and beyond if the time calls. We are the Sailor Senshi, our life is our duty and our duty is our life. From now until the end of time, we are warriors, protectors, and servants. We cannot regret our decision and we can not be released from our duties. Good luck to your, Sailor Healer." Minako smiled, "May your time of service be one of peace and devotion."_

"My life is my princess's." Minako spoke aloud as she took down the poster. "I'll never regret my choice to serve her." She opened her window and released the picture, allowing the wind to carry it away. "I hope you may have that same blessing, for it is the only one I can give.

-------------------Minako----------------

I can't tell you my exact feelings towards him anymore than he can explain the strange feeling that wells up in our depths when our eyes meet. I say it's the budding blossom of unrealized love, he says it's indigestion.

I've watched him many times, often from afar where I can simply observe him, trying to unravel the mystery of that feeling. Now I realize it was not the blossom of love I hoped it to be (and neither was it indigestion). The feeling was the mutual respect that we held for one another. It was understanding in the deepest sense of the word.

We knew that we could not love, and though I tried a few times to form a deeper relationship then fellow Sailor Senshi I always knew it could not be. Maybe that's why he pushed me away so often, he was never harsh about it, but whenever I dropped my not-so-subtle hints his eyes would silently reprimand me and constantly remind me of myself.

He was good at that, reminding me that is; it use to be that I did not need reminding, when I had just met Usagi and the others I knew my duties and knew that I could not let my personal life get in the way of my obligations to the princess. But recently I had lost sight of that discipline that once kept a smile off my face. He always found a way to remind me though. Maybe that's why I acted like such a fool around him, kind of like a silly teenager rebelling against their parents, not like the Senshi I'm suppose to be.

We could not love, but we could understand each other better than any other ever could. We understood each other's joys, each other's pains, our burdens, our roles, our duties were shared. I now know we were more alike than any of the other senshi.

I doubt even Mamoru and Usagi understand each other on the same level he and I did.

That mutual understanding is why I still smile at his memory; no matter how many black marks mare our time together.

I guess, more than anything he reminded me of myself many years ago, when all I lived for was the service of my princess. My friends helped me learn that I could have more of a life than that; I just hope he can one day recognize it too.

We can't be together now and I can't help him with his journey, but I hope one day, when our time of duty comes to an end, we can both have a chance to say what we wanted to. And I hope I can see how much he has changed.


End file.
